Paulhauser

@Sean I bet for every swap you have a timer ready so you can see if you beat the latest time 🙂

8 hours ago, Misdee said:

One question though. Why get a HAZ clone? Why not get a HAZ? Will they not sell them?  

 

Talking of attack, wasn't the problem with the TonePump that it had a bit too much enthusiasm in that respect?

 

To my knowledge HAZ isn't sold to the public, only to instrument makers. It was for sale through Spector before IIRC but with a very hefty price tag (500 USD) So basically its the availability and the pricing that fostered the clone market and LHZ is currently the best serving this niche. 

The original Tonepump had a very high output indeed but that was remedied by a dimmer (trimpot) for the second iteration that makes the user able to set the output at a desired level. I think the TP is a slightly misunderstood product and for my taste it performs quite well.   

Congratulations! Curious about your thoughts on it after the arrival and initial play.

I was looking at the 5 string version of it, I think I have posted pics in the other thread but the additional cost of importing put me off in the end. In general I really like these new special editions, great to see the brand bringing out such gems

22 hours ago, Sean said:

 

A lot of nomenclature systems get messy over time. 

We don’t really know what LX stands for. Despite my speculation at Length Xtension, it’s more likely a reference to the layering of the wings as it came after the solid wing Euros. LT = No idea??? RST = Roasted (must be). CST = Custom Shop Top? 

XL (as in NS5-XL) must refer to the 35” scale. I had a ’01 and that was 35”. 

My take on it:

LT= LighT. It was the first euro model with weight relieving (before the Classic)

RST= yeah, RoaSTed

CST= CuSTom

Don't seem to remember what LX means to the original Euro, as it was already 35" for a few years with the pre-LX Euros (for the 5ers anyway) so my take is also that it has to do with the sandwitch body and fancy tops that were introudced (spalted maple, quited maple, zebrawood etc) 

Stuard did say that one of the reason for changing to the sandwitch is that the supply of suitable maple wings were dwindling. 

I'm pretty sure the XL add for the NS-5 means 35" i.o. the original 34"

1 hour ago, Angel said:

 

That's interesting! I guess not quite your thing then. Out of interest how much did you sell it for?

To the contrary, the NS-5XL (and the Euro 5 that is based on it) is my all time favorite instrument, I'm using my NS-5XL for much of the recordings I do and play Euros live exclusively. 

I sold that particular bass because I liked my other NS-5XL better. It was actually a NAMM bass with a one-off violin finish, as they were calling it and was a great playing and sounding bass but one can't have them all

(unless one is @cetera)

Can't remember the exact selling price but it was around £2,000. Good old times...... edit: I sold it in end of 2017 / early 2018

22 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The dark textured neck wood sounds like wenge to me.

Double post, Mods please remove. 

20 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The dark textured neck wood sounds like wenge to me.

Me, too. But the thing is I can't seem to remember ever seeing a Spector with a wenge neck. Stuart was adamant about using 3 piece maple necks which were sourced from the East Coast of the US, even exporting these to the Czech workshop for the Euro line. Btw @Angel the NS-5xl example on the picture used to be mine.

50 minutes ago, Dood said:

Well this isn’t helping my recent Spector induced SAS.. I think either the 4 or 5 would work very nicely in my purple world! 

FIFY. There is a name for it you see. 🙂

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

I'd be a liar if I said that purple/black colour scheme was my cup of tea, but I'm sure to be in minority (probably of one) on that, and may you both enjoy your new Spectors a lot. 

 

More's to the point, I'd be very interested in the fullness of time to hear about any perceived differences in sound and overall feel between these new S.E versions and previous offering with the Caribbean Burst and maple board.

Thanks @Misdee. It is my first Spector purchase for more than a year (ohh the restrain!) and unfortunately as of yet I have no incoming Blue Burest SpecEd CST (that might change 😉 )

1 hour ago, Sean said:

 

I’m sure Gary will chime in soon but, yes. The Desert Island is what I think is "Ian HIll", my Peacock is the more standard “meaty” carve. The CRFM I’ve got is skinnier than the IH (but not Doug-like, more like the Tobacco Kramer) and I’ve got a 2018 LX EX (Zebra) that is like a baseball bat. Fortunately, I get on with most profiles unless they're super skinny or ridiculously big. I don’t think I’d get on with a DW.

Goood god sometimes I feel that is much safer playing 5 strings as it seems the difference is a lot less but nevertheless, it is a great conversation starter 🙂

23 minutes ago, Sean said:

 

Yesterday at the bash we @cetera had a fascinating geek-out comparing a pair of recent 2024-25 Euros, Gary’s "Desert Island” with the maple board vs my “Peacock” with the ebony board. Both Japan Exclusives. Very different carve necks, slightly different nut widths, EMG vs EMGx, Spector tuners vs Gotoh Resolite on the "Desert Island”. Both shipped with the DG. Agreed on the Euros. The small batch or special run Euros can be awesome. Not that the “catalogue” ones aren’t amazing 😉 

 

Is the carve of the necks are so different? 😮 

Thanks @Sean

I am a fan of the Euros, too and have always been. Great basses that come close to (or in my experience can match up with) US models. 

And it is worth mentioning that apart from me costing @cetera some money this below cost ME some money and heading my way next week 😉

38 minutes ago, Sean said:

This dimension that directly affects the geometery and playability of a bass is something rarely discussed (if ever). 

Agreed. I wish all my Spectors' bridges were as close to the edge of the body as possible, even if sacrificing high fret reach.
Which issue I, as a cellist student turned to bass player never understood, cellos don't have cutaways still you have to reach up high if you have to play notes there.  

(Full disclosure: I do understand it can be an issue for some, but if I ever play around and over the 20th fret is 99% tapping which overrides the cutaway issue FOR ME)

46 minutes ago, cetera said:

I have two of them mate. When we sort the LHZs I'll make sure I have one for you to try...

I would've been surprised Gary if you didn't have at least a COUPLE 🙂 🙂

On 03/11/2025 at 19:40, Sean said:

JJ Config - Euros, NS (USA)

 

Hello Spectorettes,

 

What do we think of EMG JJ config basses?

 

Do they sound like a sort of Spector version of a J bass? What's the spacing? Does Neck Through take it too far from what a J bass is about?

What's that limited edition Euro '79 JJ one?

 

Any views? Anyone selling?

 

 

 

Sean, just to clarify, what do you mean by the Euro '79 JJ?

There was a limited release of Euro 1979 LE back in 2019, but that has DiMarzio PJ pickups (I own one of these)

Is the NS-2JA-R that you mean, the Euro bolt on limited edition (83 pcs each of the three high-gloss finishes: solid white, solid black and natural gloss) that Spector did back in 2008?
"Spector's NS-2JA-R is a limited edition reissue of the company's NS-2JA from 1983 and features the original Spector NS curved body design and NS-2JA deep-inset neck pocket design. Other features include a maple body, chrome hardware (Leo Quan bridge, Schaller tuners) and EMG active J pickups with EMG BT active tone controls."

On the original question: I have a Euro 5 Classic JJ and it sound different to my Atelier Z 5 string "superjazz" ('60 spacing). Both pickups on the Classic are closer to the bridge and the overall sound of it to my earsis closer to my 5 string PJ /DC Spectors than to the jazz, it still has the Specor DNA rather than the jazz. 

@Sean it is too much of a Sunday afternoon now and I can't be bothered to take out the ruler and the phone, but this intrigued me, too. I have a bunch of Euro5s and NS-5XL and they all have different distance between the bridge and the edge of the bass and they are ALL 35"  

And to add: I have two pre-LX Euros, both has serial number that starts with "zero"  as in "NB0xxx"  so basically from the same year and the neck length / bridge -edge distance is different on them, too :-)

Love them all nevertheless and it's just an iteresting "Spector minutiae" as you said

The normal (ie non-fanned) nut essentially negates the whole idea of multiscale?

I'm wondering if the dark grey thing is not a nut but a string guide and the first, fanned fret is a zero fret, then it's all good....I'm confused 🙂 
(if you zoom in you can see the cut slots for the strings on the "nut" )

Following this with interest.....

Also some new RST Zebra limited ones

3 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Agree. The back of the headstock looks very different too. Never seen something like that. Check it out:

 

 

Yeah, wondering myself, too... what's that, a prototype that got away maybe?

Monetary considerations aside it is a simple question of which is more 'unbearable' : the guilt of having it but not being used or the regret that you would definitely feel once you sell it (and unsuccessfully trying to buy back)

Found this new dealer exclusive shell pink Euro Classic 4 and 5, seems like they have a regular classic version and one with the roasted neck (check the paint / natural finish transition at the heel) Some German and Japaneese dealers have them, though I have no idea about worldwide availability or exclusivity.

Cool color and I must say it is a great time to be a Spector aficionado, even if my wallet does not think so. 

8 hours ago, ead said:

 

I don't anymore sadly.  With my arthritis problems I am slowly selling off pretty much all my basses.  I may keep one or two and something to play through but that will be about it.

Sorry to hear about your health issues, I hope you can still play to some extent in the future. 

I just asked because I came upon my own thread when googling the limited editions and what is the market for them - if any (ie prices) - and browsing though I saw your response and was reminded that you, too had them.

I still have them both but they are my Spectors I use the least, the '77 saw some action when I subbed for a band where a 5er would have looked out of place and its sound fit like a glove but other than that my other Spectors with a low B are getting all the attention. 

@ead just out of curiousity, do you still have them both?